Me Church’s co-founders George So, Reverend Enoch Lam and Timothy Fung show an event taking place in the metaverse.Hong Kong’s Baptist minister Reverend Enoch Lam Yee-lok has said he believes he has the answer for Christians who find going to church too inconvenient and the services to be boring.
The metaverse has been described as a game-changer in a new era of social interactions over the internet. Tech giant Facebook created a global buzz when it announced last year that it would be renamed Meta to focus on the potential of the concept. Similar churches have existed overseas for some years, offering services complete with Bible readings, sermons, hymns and collections that accept cryptocurrency.
“They will not just sit still and listen to you,” he said. “They’ll want to jump in and build Noah’s Ark themselves.” After hearing about the metaverse last October, he learned how to use a VR headset, borrowed a virtual church built on a VR platform by Christians in Malaysia and by April this year, his Meta Church was ready.
Those with a headset have a richer experience of being present, and their avatars are able to shake hands, hug and pray together. He said his avatar explored a worship hall and function rooms, shook hands and chatted with the others attending the tour virtually.